n.
Pronunciation: - ' kä-k ə s
Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural -coc · ci \ - ' kä- ˌ k ī , -( ˌ )k ē ; - ' käk- ˌ s ī , -( ˌ )s ē \
Etymology: New Latin, from Greek staphyl ē bunch of grapes + New Latin -coccus
Date: 1887
: any of a genus ( Staphylococcus ) of nonmotile gram-positive spherical bacteria that occur singly, in pairs or tetrads, or in irregular clusters and include causative agents of various diseases (as skin infections, food poisoning, and endocarditis)